‘The Walking Dead’ Season 5 Comic-TV Comparison: ‘Remember’

The Walking Dead Season 5 shambled out its 12th entry with Sunday’s latest “Remember” but how did it hold up to the comic book continuity? Alexandria seems too good to be true as the group settles into the peaceful community and meets its mysterious inhabitants, so let’s find out how close the source material stuck through Sunday’s latest!

As AMC’s incarnation weaves in and out of storylines from the books and adds its own original characters and developments, we’ve compiled an in-depth guide for fans of the comics as well as AMC’s The Walking Dead to enjoy! Check all the comparisons we found in on The Walking Dead Season 5, episode 12, “Remember!”

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Dougl … er, Deanna Monroe

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Upon arriving in Alexandria, Rick first meets with community leader and former Ohio congresswoman Deanna Monroe, who videotapes each interview for “transparency” and explains a bit of about the community’s history. In particular, she makes mention of the army having directed her, son Aiden and husband “Reg” to the refuge, after which they began building the walls with incoming help. Deanna also makes mention of having had to exile several men, while no explanation is given of her husband’s absence.

THE COMICS: Douglas Monroe proved otherwise identical to his female AMC counterpart, albeit without videotaping interviews, and with very-much present wife Regina. Douglas also transparently revealed to Rick that he’d previously killed several men to survive, later elaborating that his best friend Alexander Davidson helped settle the community, before the man’s behavior forced Douglas to exile him.

Also worth noting is that Douglas revealed expansion plans for the wall to allow more houses, while Olivia would later note that the power grid wasn’t always functional.

R.I.P. Rick’s Beard

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Following his first shower since the prison, Rick finally bids farewell to his epic beard, minutes later accepting a haircut from Alexandria resident Jessie, upon her dropping off welcome toiletries. Everyone from Deanna to Michonne make note of the drastic change.

THE COMICS: Samesies, though Olivia was the one to provide the haircut, rather than Jessie. AMC’s (initially unnamed) Olivia similarly collected the group’s guns, however, and will have a more prominent role this Sunday.

Jessie’s World

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: In addition to welcoming Rick with a basket of sundries and cutting his hair, young Alexandria blonde Jessie makes mention of her past occupation as a beautician, and is later seen welding a sculpture. She never quite mentions her husband, but at least references her two children, Ron and Sam.

THE COMICS: Introduced a short time after Rick and his group settled into Alexandria, an older-seeming, brunette Jessie first encountered Rick after an inquiry of her only son Ron’s black eye. No references were ever made to her career before the zombie apocalypse.

Under One Roof

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Carol inspects the second house they’d been offered, she and Daryl later noting to Rick the tactical danger of them being split up, should Alexandria turn out to be another ruse. Rick recommends they all sleep in one house for the night, something Deanna later commends.

THE COMICS: Similar, though Abraham was the one to decline sleeping in one of the three available houses as precaution. Rick agreed and took the same course, something Douglas would similarly praise as a wise move.

Faith in Alexandria Goes to the Dogs

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Letting Carl out of his sight for a few moments, Rick races the streets in a panic searching for his children, until Jessie points out a pair of elderly neighbors eager to meet Alexandria’s youngest new residents. Adding to Rick’s discomfort with the idyllic Alexandria, he and Daryl moments earlier observe a woman walking a dog, absent any concern for life outside the wall.

THE COMICS: Rick’s mini-freakout with Carl arrived immediately after the first meeting with Douglas, though Aaron quickly pointed out that Carl was only playing with boys nearby. Later that night, it was Rick and Andrea who observed the sight of a woman walking her dog.

AMC / Image Comics

Carl’s Concern

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Initially uncertain of how to enjoy himself among fellow teenagers, Carl soon acclimates to his new friends, among them Jessie’s son Ron, and mysterious loner Enid. Later, Carl expresses to Rick his worries that they’d grow soft by living in Alexandria, something Rick assures won’t happen.

THE COMICS: The somewhat-younger Carl quickly acclimated to playing with other boys, though quickly grew irritated with everyone’s disregard for the world outside Alexandria, finding it difficult to enjoy the neighborhood Halloween festivity. Carl similarly worried about growing soft, something Rick again reassured.

Meet Pete

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Taking a late-night stroll, Rick happens across the shadowy Pete smoking on his porch, as the man notes that his wife Jessie was the one to cut his hair, thereafter offering a half-hearted welcome to the community.

THE COMICS: Pete was observed prior during a neighborhood cocktail party, though wouldn’t formally meet Rick until an early morning encounter on his porch, where Pete had been sleeping. Already distrustful of the man by his son’s black eye, Rick advised that he and Jessie should do their best to work things out.

Spenc … uh, Aiden Monroe

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Late in the hour, Glenn, Tara, and Noah join Alexandria scavengers Aiden and Nicholas, the former a self-enfiladed alpha douchebag son to Deanna. Aiden acknowledges his brash leadership style, but later comes to blows with Glenn after their “pregame” zombie torture nearly gets Tara killed. Glenn doesn’t provoke Aiden, but still engages the fight, and Deanna later thanks him for taking her hothead son down a peg.

THE COMICS: Douglas and Regina similiarly had a son, albeit named Spencer, who proved far less antagonistic to any of Rick’s group, and initially pursued the still-living Andrea. Nicholas, meanwhile, was an older man with a family who had reservations about Rick’s group from the beginning, making several efforts to bring attention to them.

And while AMC may yet adapt the scene, also worth noting is that Abraham’s initial mission with the construction crew played out somewhat similarly to Tara’s struggle with the walker, one of Rick’s group breaking ranks to save someone from a walker attack.

Officers Rick and Michonne, Reporting for Duty

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: Deanna initially withholds her job placements for Rick and Michonne, but after seeing Rick break up the fight between Glenn and her son, confirms her appointment of Rick as the town Constable, with Michonne as his second.

THE COMICS: Douglas appointed Rick as the constable in their initial meeting, Olivia even bringing the uniform after his shower and shave. It wasn’t until later that Douglas asked for help placing Michonne, noting little need for a community lawyer, before the two settled on a position as Rick’s first officer.

The Conquering Heroes

AMC / Image Comics

AMC: After donning his sheriff’s uniform, Rick notes in private with Carol and Daryl that they could finally settle into their own houses and forgo worries of Alexandria making them weaker. Ominously, Rick also notes that should the existing residents fail to maintain their security, Rick’s group could easily take them over.

Also something of a background thread throughout the hour, Carol is continually seen downplaying her fighting skills and attitude, at one point taking a community job to better map out the neighborhood for tactical purposes

THE COMICS: Very similarly, Rick shared this conversation with Andrea, even pointing out that her concerns echoed Carl’s from earlier, and they could simply take over Alexandria if its residents ever tried to banish them.

Also, like AMC’s Carol, Rick would soon employ another of the group to play a bit of subterfuge, but whom, you ask? Until next time …

Will The Walking Dead curve much closer to the comics, now that everyone has settled into Alexandria? Whatever happened to Morgan, who was last seen hot on their trail? Did we miss anything else from the comics you might have caught?

Be sure to check back next week for our in-depth comic-to-TV comparison of The Walking Dead Season 5, episode 13, “Forget” on AMC!